


Take Me Home (Country Road)

by NewtDewt



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: AU, M/M, Mentally Ill Newton, Secret Admirer, This is...a Big Eden AU, Trans Male Character, but this is gonna be some happy fluff i promise, past angst, you cant stop me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-07-24 11:50:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16174496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewtDewt/pseuds/NewtDewt
Summary: Newton hasn't been home in 5 years. This has nothing to do with Him moving back to town to work as the librarian. Nothing at all. He just hasn't had time to come home. Until now, that is. He'll come home for a few weeks, and everything will be perfectly fine.Or- Newt has been avoiding a certain someone back home since graduation, but he realized after a small accident that he hadn't seen his father and uncle in too long. He comes home for a few weeks and might just remember why he fell for his lab partner all those years ago.





	1. Back Home

**Author's Note:**

> Hi please watch Big Eden im very gay and i love it a lot
> 
> also Newt is trans and you can pry that from my trans little hands

He got the call before lecture. Five minutes before he was supposed to talk for an hour and a half on the brains of Orcas (which he could do for much longer), his phone buzzed in his pocket. His uncle was calling. This wasn’t normal, which meant it was bad. Newt’s heart had already settled in his throat when he answered.  
“What’s up?” He asked, ignoring the high crack in his voice.  
“Hey, bud, I don’t wanna worry you- but your dad had a bit of an accident. Nothing huge, just a broken arm, but I wanted you to hear it from me.” His uncle was calm, collected. Nothing was actually wrong.  
So much was wrong.  
“I’m booking a flight right now- I’ll be there tomorrow.” Newt rushed his words out without a single thought (much less a second one).  
“Woah, theres no need for that-“ “I have vacation days available, my TA can teach for the rest of the semester, and I haven’t been home in five years. I am coming. Tomorrow.” Newt hung up after that, hands shaking.  
It was just a broken arm, but what if it had been more? He hadn’t seen his dad since Christmas two years ago (they met in the middle at a diner and both got food poisoning)- he couldn’t let his last memory of his dad be vomiting together at a Hilton. Besides, he’d been griping to his TA that he needed a break for months. This was three in one. See his dad, take a break, and quiet the little demon in his head screaming that he’d abandoned his family. He could do this. It didn’t matter that he was still there.  
Newt handed his lesson plans to his TA, played up the injured father story to his Dean, and rushed back to his apartment to cram all of his clothing into a suitcase. All of the alarm bells were going off in his brain, and he didn’t think they’d stop until he actually saw his father, smiling and breathing.  
“Newton Geiszler, what the hell are you doing?” The voice in his doorway nearly made Newt jump out of his skin.  
“Fuck’s sake, Tendo- do you know how to knock?” He snapped, not turning away from his packing.  
“You can’t wait a few more weeks until the semester is over?”  
“No I can’t. I’ve been hiding from him since he moved back- I have to get over this stupid…thing…it’s been like ten years.” Newt sighed deeply, setting down the sweatshirt he had a death grip on and sitting on his bed. Tendo sat next to him, wrapping an arm around him in a half hug.  
“I get it, man, I get it…be safe, okay? I’ll be bored without you here.” Tendo ruffled Newton’s hair before standing and sighing.  
“And don’t forget your fucking toothbrush!” He added, walking out the door.  
Newton quickly grabbed his toothbrush and shoved it in his bag, waving after Tendo happily.  
His bag was packed, his lizards sent to Mako’s, and he was on a plane within the span of three hours. His thoughts were all one muddled mess until he finally sat down in the seat- then only one thought ran through his head.  
Shit.  
Oh shit. He was on a fucking plane headed to his hometown. His hometown with Hermann. He left Otachi and Junior with Mako. He was on a plane headed to the town were he lived. This might have just been his most impulsive decision to date. Maybe. If he didn’t count that one time…no, this was definitely his most impulsive decision yet.  
He stared out of the window he was sat next to as the plane took off, letting out a deep sigh. When they ascended into the clouds, he finally let his mind drift back to high school- to him. Everything started off freshman year.  
He sat down at the black counter- typical of a high school lab- and looked around the room with wide eyes. He was small, a year younger than everyone else in the room, and hunching his shoulders to cover the flattened bulge in his hoodie. He was mess of fear and hormone blockers, shaking in his seat as real high schoolers filed into the room. He kept his head down, not making eye contact with anyone as former friends chose their seats together. A clunking noise brought him out of his stupor, and he looked up to see the most beautiful boy he’d ever witnessed.  
“Is this seat taken?” His voice was smooth honey, long fingers wrapped around a cane, a too big sweater swallowing his entire figure. He made Newt’s heart pound uncomfortably hard against his ribs- his binder making the situation all the more painful.  
“N-Not at all. Go ahead.” Newt’s voice was too high, too squeaky. It made him want to tear his vocal chords out, but the boy in front of him didn’t flinch. He simply smiled and took the seat next to him, pulling his textbook out and situating everything neatly- a stark contrast from the papers Newt had spread across his half of the station.  
“I’m Newton, but you can call me Newt.” Newt held his hand out nervously for a handshake. He could barely function right now, but this boy was so serene and composed. Newt was pretty sure this is what death felt like.  
“Newton? Nice to meet you.” He shook Newt’s hand with a tight smile, eyeing the mess on his desk with a raised eyebrow. Newt released his hand and scrambled to tidy up as best as he could. He was naturally messy, a mix of ADHD and just how he was raised, but he felt an intense need to keep things clean if it would make this boy happy. This boy…oh, shit. He didn’t even know this boy’s name and he was half way to falling in love.  
“Oh, sorry about that! Um…oh, your name is?”  
“Hermann Gottleib.”


	2. Food (the way to a Newt's heart)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton finally makes it home, and his past is waiting right there for him.

Newton woke up home. Well- not exactly, but close enough. He woke up in the terminal of the airport an hour and a half away from home, and the tightness in his chest lifted a little bit. He stepped off the plane to be wrapped in a hug almost instantly.  
“Hey! Uncle Illia!” He laughed as the larger man lifted him and spun him around, taking in the feeling of being with his family again. He couldn’t stop smiling, the reality of his situation finally settling in. He was going to see his dad! He could drive around his hometown- see all the places he used to frequent…well…almost all of the places. He figured he’d avoid the library these few weeks- seeing Hermann might not be the best for him.  
He shook that thought out of his head as he climbed into his uncle’s truck. Hermann Gottlieb didn’t matter at all- the only thing that mattered was his family, and spending as much time as possible with them. And food. Food also mattered, as soon as possible. Once the anxiety lifted ever so slightly, Newt realized he was starving.  
“Newton!” Newt could hear his father yelling from the porch as soon as he got out of the car, and his face split into a grin. He couldn’t stop himself from running to the porch and wrapping an arm around his dad’s good shoulder, planting a wet kiss on his cheek.  
“Christ, kid, your beard is better than mine now.” Jacob ruffled his son’s hair and then kissed his son’s forehead, arm wrapping around him tightly. “Now- what the hell were you trying to do exactly?” Newt broke from the half-hug and gestured to his father’s arm, which was in a lovely fluorescent orange cast.  
“Well, you see, I-“ “He fell off the roof trying to hang Christmas lights up!” Illia shouted from the truck, lugging Newt’s luggage out of the back and to the porch.  
Newt looked at his father with an exasperated sigh.  
“Dad! You know you can’t go doing shit like that without help!” He chided, though he wasn’t to harsh over it. In all honesty, Newt knew he’d likely be injured doing the exact same thing sometime in the future. He and his father were similar in those respects- both too stubborn to ask for help, insistent that they could do anything by themselves. It was stupid, yes, but Newt would be damned if he asked anyone taller for help doing anything. He would fall to his death from a precarious stack of books on a chair before even considering asking for assistance.  
“Hey, remember when you broke your arm trying to get your kite out of a tree, bud?” Jacob rolled his eyes at his son’s indignant sputtering in response, opting to ignore him and help his brother carry luggage inside.  
“Hey! Take it easy!” Newt snapped, snatching his suitcase from his father with an overdramatic huff before hauling it upstairs to his childhood bedroom.  
Shit, this was bringing back some memories.  
His bed was still unmade from the last time he’d slept in it, something nearly everyone in his family didn’t care much about doing. Posters hung crooked on the wall- Godzilla displayed prominently at the head of his bed- and his old acoustic guitar was propped up on the wall gathering dust. And his desk…  
Books were precariously stacked along his desk, but that wasn’t what was bothering Newt. What was bothering him was the notebook sitting in the center of his desk, a good bit of space cleared around it. He opened it up, wincing as he did so. Numerous pages were torn out of it- probably about half of the notebook’s paper in total. Nothing was written on the remaining pages, but Newton could remember almost every word scrawled hastily on the torn out pages.

It was a month after freshman year had begun when he wrote the first note. It was dumb and cowardly, but he did it anyways. He couldn’t stop himself once he pressed his pen to the paper. Every single thought he’d had about Hermann Gottleib over the last month spilled out in numerous paragraphs. He praised his intellect, how quick witted Hermann could be, but he moved even further past that. He mused on how pretty Hermann was, long eyelashes and limbs and perfectly combed brown hair. He wrote a good two pages confessing everything, really. He wanted to be with Hermann, and he was on the brink of falling in love with him after only a month.  
He shoved the letter into Hermann’s locker the day after and waited for Biology. When Hermann hobbled into class Newton was practically vibrating in his seat- a perfect storm of ADHD, anxiety, and gay. Hermann had a lovely furrow to his brow, and Newton wanted to interrogate him about it, smooth it out, and kiss it all at the same time.  
“Whats up, Herms?” Newton’s voice was too high, lack of the right hormones and anxiety practically killing him.  
“Newton, I’ve told you not to call me that. And it’s nothing, really. A prank I believe. Someone decided to leave a fake love letter in my locker.” Hermann sounded…sad. Even Newt could pick up on that.  
Wait. Shit. He didn’t sign the fucking letter.  
He had to write another letter.

“Newt! Food’s here!” Jacob called up the stairs, snapping Newton out of his trance. He looked down at the notebook in his hands and closed it, placing it back down on his desk gently. He eyed the trashcan for a brief second, but couldn’t bring himself to do it just yet. So he walked downstairs, the notebook on his desk burning into the back of his mind.  
“So- what’s to eat da- oh.” Newton’s heart dropped as he rounded the corner into the kitchen. His uncle was placing a dish onto the counter, and his father was smiling brightly as he tried to persuade the man in front of him to stay for dinner.  
“So sorry, Mister Geiszler, but I should really be getting back to the library- oh. Newton.” Hermann Gottleib stood in the kitchen gripping his cane and giving a curt smile to Newt’s father. That smile faded instantly when Newt entered the room. Hermann’s gaze became cold, and Newt had to hold back a shiver that emanated from his chest. Fuck, that hurt.  
“I’ll be going now. Do enjoy your dinner.” Hermann then turned and walked out the back door to his car and drove away. Newt stood in the center of his kitchen trying to process exactly what had just happened.  
Actually, no. He stopped trying to process the interaction and shoved it into the back of his mind next to the half-empty notebook on his childhood desk. There was no time to think of how Hermann still dressed like an old man, how his glasses were on a chain like an old man, how he’d started to wrinkle, how his eyelashes were still so goddamn long. Nope. No time for that. Right now was family time.  
He god himself a good chunk of the shepard’s pie that Hermann had brought over and ate slowly. He had to- it was so damn good he felt the need to savor every bite. It was still hot, and cooked to absolute perfection. Newt couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten something so damn good.  
“Shit- who’s this from?” He asked, mouth still full.  
“Manners, Newton,” his father chided before continuing, “I think Hermann said Mrs. Jones made it for us.”  
Newton nodded, making a mental note to give her a visit the next day and thank her personally for the best food he’d ever eaten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh boy :^) the next chapter is gonna be Hermann's perspective of this event- plus some bonus info!
> 
> If you're liking this, maybe drop over to my tumblr and tell me? I'm NewtDewt on there as well!  
> Thank you so much for reading- next chapter should be up in a week or so <3


	3. Coincidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermann's side of the story and the beginning of a new routine.

To Hermann this was a matter of pride- nothing more. This was the most disgusting shepard’s pie that he’d ever seen, and he had to prove that it wasn’t that hard to make a quality one. This definitely had nothing to do with Newton Geiszler being the recipient of that sludge of a dish. No, this was pride and only pride.  
He kept repeating this as he made his way to the front door of the Geiszler home. It took him a second to maneuver the dish and his cane - he’d been on his feet for a while and his leg was protesting that quite a bit- but he eventually got to the door and knocked.   
“Ah- Hermann! It’s been ages, please, come in!” Jacob Geiszler, fluorescent cast and wide smile, so alike to his son it made Hermann’s lips threaten to curl into a sneer. There was a reason he hadn’t been over in years.  
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to be a bother-“ and like that, Hermann was ushered into the Geiszler kitchen despite his protest, heart aching with the memories of Newton Geiszler rushing in at full speed.  
The first day of freshman biology. He would’ve preferred any other class- his affinity for the squishy sciences was…low. He much preferred to work with chalk than a scalpel, but he knew he would get an A in the class nonetheless. He would get an A in every class. His father had assured him of that, choosing to leave the consequences of a grade any lower to Hermann’s imagination.  
He was running slightly late. Not so late as to be the last one in the class, or after the bell, but late enough to not find a seat. When he made his way into the classroom- only three seats were open. Two of which were in the back, something Hermann was greatly opposed to, so he approached the small boy sitting in the front- was he really a high schooler?  
“Is this seat taken?” He asked, though he was already shrugging his backpack off of his shoulder. He set it down on the desk when the boy responded and nodded his head. He went through introductions curtly, though he was unable to stop staring at his desk space. It was filthy, and spilling over onto his side. Two notebooks, a sketchbook, the textbook, and a copy of Frankenstein. Papers stuck haphazardly out of the notebooks- how were they already so messy on the first day of class?  
Hermann winced internally when the boy, Newton, began to clean his space. He hadn’t meant to stare that much, but he was still thankful that the mess moved away from his side of the table. Goodness, if his father were here he’d be smacking Hermann over the head for such a lapse in manners. But Newton didn’t seem to mind at all. He simply kept grinning brightly at Hermann, and something stirred within him. His chest felt a bit funny, but when Newton began to ramble on about biology he decided it was simply annoyance and moved on with his day.  
And speaking of annoyance, Hermann was pulled out of his memories when he heard someone barreling down the stares. Reckless energy and messy hair flew into the kitchen, and Hermann felt any tinge of fondness from his memories turn straight to ice. He wasn’t going to forget everything that had happened in those for years, and he damn sure wasn’t going to forgive.   
He’d already been halfway through politely taking his leave when Newton arrived, anyways. It wasn’t weird to leave right now.  
“I’ll be going now. Do enjoy your dinner.” He then left through the front door and got into his car, making his way back to the library. He made his way through the library and to the very back, once he was there. The back of the library was his home, just as filled with books as the library itself, and lying on his couch to greet him was his cat.  
“Hello, Alan.” He said softly, sitting next to the hairless creature and petting him gently. The cat let out a loud meow that turned into purring, climbing into Hermann’s lap and curling into him. Hermann sighed deeply and began to rant aloud to his cat- a habit that he was too embarrassed to admit he’d had for longer than a year.  
“He’s absolutely covered in tattoos now, Alan. So many of them it’s unbelievable- though he did talk about them quite a bit back then…oh, bother, Alan. I cannot believe that after all these years I’m still so damn angry. Have I told you what he did? First off- he was a horrendous lab partner that couldn’t tell you proper lab procedure if it was directly in front of him. Secondly, he was horrible to study with as well. Loud music and no headphones, and no courtesy for whoever he was studying with. And lastly he…he actually had the gall to make me love him with all of those stupid notes. Four years of them, and on graduation day I find out it was all some sort of joke to him. He can’t take a single thing serious in his life and I am left taking this far more seriously than I ever should’ve in the first place.”  
Alan Purring did not seem impressed with Newt, and Hermann had to agree.  
“Come along, dear, it’s time for dinner and bed.” Hermann rose slowly from the couch with Alan cradled in his arm and went about the rest of his night trying his hardest not to think about how he hated and missed Newton Geiszler.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Hello! Thank you for reading this latest chapter! Come yell at me about it @NewtDewt on tumblr!  
> The next chapter will involve some lovely hijinks from Jacob and Ilia Geiszler.


	4. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt takes an all night trip down memory lane. It's not a pleasant trip.

Newton didn’t sleep that night, but that wasn’t exactly uncommon for him. He blamed it on the flight and drinking too much coffee before bed, even though he knew for a fact that wasn’t the cause.  
The cause…well, the cause was thinking about where exactly everything went wrong. He thought he was doing everything right, but…well, obviously he had to have gone wrong at some point considering the fact that Hermann hated him now.

Maybe it started when he didn’t sign the second note- this time on purpose. He had to play it off nonchalantly, but he didn’t want to seem like a coward, so…he wrote another anonymous note- this time with instructions on where to place a reply letter if he wanted to.  
He was too fucking scared to sign it. He couldn’t. He just shoved it in Hermann’s locker and ran away, heart pounding against his chest.  
He found the reply letter in the back corner of the library two days later.  
“Dear anonymous,  
I must say that I’m cautiously flattered…”  
Newton could still remember the letter to this day. It stoked a fire in him, and suddenly he had a plan for his high school years. Convince Hermann that this wasn’t a prank, woo the hell out of him, graduate with a hot ass nerd boyfriend and go to college together. No big deal.  
So he got writing. Every day he wrote these letters- even writing a bundle so Hermann would have a letter to open every single day of the breaks, except for the summer of Freshman year. That’s when he’d tell him, he decided.  
And then he didn’t.  
He resumed writing Sophomore year, planning to tell him that summer.  
And then he didn’t.  
So it would be Junior year.  
It wouldn’t.  
In fact- it took all four fucking years for Newton to gather up the courage and tell Hermann. The main reason being that he knew for a fact Hermann would be disappointed.  
In their letters, Hermann was soft. Cautious, but sweet. Newton told Hermann his secrets, and Hermann revealed his, but in person…  
They fought. Not full scale shouting matches, but bickering. Small things riled them up, but they never went so far as to declare hatred. Newt played small pranks on Hermann to make him loosen up, and Hermann would respond by yelling at him and calling him a horrible child, and Newton would call him a wretched old man. It was a lovely dynamic, and they were definitely best friends despite Hermann’s protests. Until graduation that is.  
Newton had signed his last letter with: “Meet me under the goal posts after graduation-N.”  
And there Hermann stood after the ceremonies ended. He looked around cautiously, nervously. Newt’s heart was hammering like it always did when he got close to Hermann.  
“H-Hey, Herms.” He sputtered out, and Hermann’s look shifted. Nervous, confused, disappointed. Angry.  
“It was you?” Hermann spat out, and Newton never felt smaller.  
“I…I was gonna tell you sooner, Freshman year, but I was so sc-““You spent four years tricking me into caring about you? And for what? Some big reveal? Some petty joke? I cannot believe you would be so petty, so wretched, you disgusting little-““Hermann, I can explain! It wasn’t like that I-” Newt trailed off, shoving his hands into his pockets.  
“Save it, Newton. This is low, even for you. Four years of your childish pranks to end with this? Fuck you, Newton.”  
That was the first time Newt had heard Hermann cuss. That was the last time Newton heard him speak for years.

“Newt! Breakfast is ready!” Newt shifted and rose from his bed when his dad called, rubbing his eyes. He sighed and tugged on his old MIT hoodie and trudged down the stairs, smiling at his dad and uncle.  
“You look like shit.” Jacob said bluntly, placing a coffee cup in his son’s hands.  
“Love you too, dad.” He said, sitting on the counter and looking down into the pan where his uncle flipped pancakes.  
“Can I have chocolate chips in mine?” He asked, smiling up at his uncle and trying his best to replicate puppy dog eyes while sleep deprived. Ilia just sighed and nodded, reaching into the cabinet and grabbing a few to sprinkle in. Newt swung his feet happily and chugged his coffee down in response.  
“Hey, Newt, I need you to run an errand for me tonight.” Jacob took the empty mug from his son, refilling it and handing it back as a bribe.  
“Sure, what’s up?”  
“Can you drop off this dish and these books at the library for me?”  
“Actually, you know what, I just remembered I have things. To do. That aren’t that.” Newt hid his cringe by sipping his coffee.  
“No take backs- eat your pancakes and take the truck.” Ilia set their plates at the table and Newt sighed heavily.  
He took his sweet time eating his pancakes despite the fact that he was starving, though eventually they were gone and he was left with nothing else to do but go and face Hermann for a few brief and awkward seconds.  
If he changed into a nice outfit of very tight jeans and a button down, there was no correlation or desire to show Hermann what he’d missed out on.  
None at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter some shits gonna b resolved. Probs only two more chapters after this.


	5. The Magic of Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A confession years in the making

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry I didn't upload for a bit! You can yell at me about it on my tumblr, NewtDewt. There's probably only one chapter after this- perhaps two. Things are wrapping up!

It was starting to snow ever so slightly when Newton walked out the front door. He was almost happy to see the snow- thoughts of snowmen and snowballs and possible revenge nearly put a smile on his face. But it didn’t. Instead of smiling, Newt simply wrapped his leather jacket closer to his body and climbed into his father’s truck, placing the dish and books in the passenger seat.  
The drive to the library was quiet. He couldn’t bring himself to turn on the radio, or even talk to himself. Only the sounds of the truck and its heater broke the silence of the drive. Newt’s brain was swimming. He felt like he couldn’t breathe.  
Alone with Hermann.  
Only for a few seconds, but still.  
Alone.  
With Hermann.  
Newt almost wanted to apologize, explain himself, tell Hermann that after years of not talking to him he was still head over heels to the point where he thought Hermann was the only person he could love.  
Almost.  
But instead he decided to smile, be polite, hand over the books and dish, and then leave. It’s not like Hermann would listen, anyways. He was just as stubborn as he was beautiful- even after all these years. Long eyelashes and defined frown lines were haunting Newt.  
And then the five minute drive was over. Newt parked in front of the library and took a deep breath. Then another. Perhaps a few more. When he finally felt like he had enough oxygen -even though he knew seeing Hermann would knock it out of him again- he got out of the car with the books and dish.  
“Hello, welcome to…oh, Newton. I did not expect a visit from you.” Hermann’s glasses were low on his nose. He was looking at Newt from the front desk, a book in his hands. He didn’t smile.  
“Yeah, uh, well. I didn’t expect to visit.” He said, setting the books and dish on the desk in front of Hermann. He smiled weakly. Hermann returned the smile after a few moments. Newton felt like he was drowning.  
“I’m sorry.” Newt barely heard himself over the sound of his heart pounding. His hands felt shaky. God, it had been so long since graduation.  
“Newton-“ Hermann sounded annoyed. There was a sigh after he began. Newt felt his heart begin racing even faster and he jumped in to stop Hermann from talking. This wasn’t going to be a repeat of graduation night. It couldn’t be. Newton had to explain or he was going to pull apart at the seams. He couldn’t keep hiding from Hermann in his office grading papers for endless years.  
“Hermann, listen to me. It wasn’t a prank. I wouldn’t do that to you. I saw you on the first day of freshman year and I…god, Hermann, I meant every single word I wrote in those notes. You’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen, and I didn’t know how to tell you that to your face. I meant every fucking word I wrote. I still do. I still mean every single word I wrote.” His words rushed out, raising in volume until he was nearly yelling. The empty library seemed to rattle around him.  
Hermann was frozen in his seat. His face felt hot. He couldn’t stop staring at Newton, mouth gaping slightly. His heart was pounding. For a brief moment, he wondered if he was still asleep and this was some elaborate dream. Perhaps the weight that just lifted off of his chest was simply Alan Purring deciding to go get a drink before yowling at Hermann to refill his food bowl. Perhaps the heat rising to his face was from his blanket being pushed against his cheeks. He had half a mind to pinch himself and check if he was truly awake, but he found himself drawn into action when he noticed the tears pooling in Newton’s eyes.  
Hermann stood abruptly and grabbed Newton’s hand as if something else was controlling him. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before spitting out the first thing that popped into his mind.  
“Have you slept, Newton?” He croaked out. Newt looked at him and shock, eyes trailing from their intwined hands and Hermann’s face. Confusion weaved into Newton’s expression, mingling with fear and sadness into a masterpiece of hurt that made Hermann ache in the worst possible way.  
“Hermann, I-“ “Your hands are cold- I’ll make some coffee. Just…come with me. We can talk for a bit- we should talk for a bit. Please.” Hermann squeezed Newton’s hand lightly. Newt squeezed back.  
Hermann grabbed his cane and led Newton back to the section of the library that was his living quarters. Alan Purring meowed loudly when the door opened, and Hermann felt Newton jump at the sound. Hermann hesitantly released Newt’s hand to pull Alan into his arms, turning and presenting the hairless cat to Newt with a nervous smile.  
“This is Alan Purring.” He said simply, and Newton’s face lit up in a wide grin as he leaned forward to scratch under the creature’s chin. Alan purred loudly at this, and Hermann breathed a sigh of relief. Alan Purring liked Newton, and Hermann did too. Loved, actually, but he needed a few minutes to come to terms with this fact.  
“Please, sit. I’ll make some coffee.” Hermann said, setting Alan on the couch and making his way into the kitchen. He heard Newton follow him.  
“Hermann-““Please, Newton. Give me a minute to process this…wait on the couch. I’ll be out with coffee in a bit.” He sighed, turning back and watching Newton make his way to the couch.  
Hermann moved away from the doorway, leaning against the wall of his kitchen and breathing heavily. His face was hot. Newton thought he was beautiful. He could barely breathe his heart was hammering against his chest so hard. Newton meant every single word. His hands were shaking and he felt as if he might cry. Newton loved him. He loved Newton. He needed to make coffee. He could barely think.

“Here.” Hermann set two mugs on the coffee table in front of Newton. Newt was holding Alan in his arms and petting him, though he still looked rattled. Alan Purring, however, looked entirely content with life. That is, he looked content until Newton set him down and grabbed a mug of coffee. After that Alan looked pissed.  
“So, uh, what’s uh…what’s all this about?” Newton gestured around the room with his free hand. Hermann winced slightly, taking a deep breath before sitting down on the couch next to Newton.  
“This entire time, I thought…I thought that you notes were a joke. I fell in love with you, but you were just joking. It was a game for you. But what you just confessed…I…I’m happy.” Hermann spoke slowly, face heating the more he spoke. Newt thought he looked like a tomato- or perhaps a poison dart frog. The cutest poison dart frog in existence. A poison dart frog that Newt was about to kiss.  
Hermann let out a choked noise when Newton’s lips pressed against his. They were slightly chipped, his stubble was scratchy, and his hair felt perfect tangled in Hermann’s bony fingers. He kissed back, eyes closing and breath hitching as Newt grabbed his hips and moved their bodies closer.  
“I’ve been wanting to do this since freshman year.” Newton breathed out after pulling away. His hair was messy and his glasses askew, and Hermann had never loved him more.  
“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.” Hermann said softly, kissing along Newton’s stubbly jaw. Newt caught him in a soft kiss, pressing their smiles together. Hermann let out a whimper, pulling away and tearing up slightly.“Newton, I’m so sorry. We could’ve had this for years and I…I love you. I’m sorry.” Hermann sniffled and Newt sat up, pulling the older man into his lap and wiping his cheeks.  
“Hey, Herms. It’s okay. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m here, you’re here, and I love you too.” Newt pressed kisses all over Hermann’s face to punctuate his points. Hermann laughed lightly, curling into Newton’s chest happily.  
“I-oh, alright.” Hermann pressed a kiss to Newton’s cheek, letting out a noise of anger when Newt’s phone began to ring.  
“That’s my dad, uh…gimme a sec.” Newt slowly walked to the kitchen, answering the call.“So, can we expect Hermann for dinner tonight?” Newt sighed at the smugness of his father’s voice.  
“Yeah. I’ll be home with him later.” He said, hanging up the call and walking back to the living room. Hermann sat on the couch, his sweater rumpled and cheeks rosy.“You’re invited to dinner.” He said, leaning in and kissing Hermann.  
“Ah, tonight?” “Yup.” “Goodness- I need to cook something then.” And with that Hermann was hobbling around the kitchen and barking orders to Newton.


	6. Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi this is kinda short and really late but uhhhh I finished it!!

Hermann held his dish under his free arm nervously, heading towards the Geiszler residence a bit slower than necessary. The temperature had dropped significantly in the past few hours, and because of that he was bundled in a large sweater that was stuffed into a leather jacket that was both too big and too short. Newton had laughed at him when he started shivering as soon as they stepped outside—something that Hermann nearly snapped at him for.  
“Are you still cold, or are you nervous?” Hermann didn’t need to look at Newton to know he had a shit eating grin plastered on his face.  
“Oh shut up, Newton.”   
The door opened before their argument could progress, Newt’s father and uncle waving them inside excitedly. Hugs were given, Hermann’s dish was taken from his hands, and Newton coughed loudly and darted his eyes over to the mistletoe approximately three hundred times within five minutes. Hermann tried to write off the warm feeling spreading through his gut as annoyance, though he still allowed a crooked smile to make its way across his face. He made his way over to Newton and placed a gentle kiss to the shorter man’s forehead. Newt smiled brightly, only blushing slightly when his father whistled loudly from the kitchen. Hermann, however, blushed profusely.  
The couple sat next to each other at the dinner table, their knees knocking together on occasion helping to keep a steady blush on Hermann’s face.  
“So, Hermann, can I assume that you’re the one to thank for dinner last night?” Jacob piped up from across the table turning Hermann’s steady blush into a blazing inferno once more. Newt had never found him more beautiful.  
“Ah, yes sir. Sorry I didn’t mention it— the dish that Mrs. Jones made was absolutely horrendous and I wouldn’t serve it to my worst enemy.” Hermann explained himself, and Newton grinned at him happily.  
Dinner was less eventful than Hermann expected it to be. Jacob’s cooking was wonderful, the conversation stayed at a normal volume most of the time, and Newton’s hand was laced into his for a majority of their meal. After the meal was over, Jacob and Illia settled down to watch a movie and Newt led Hermann up to his childhood bedroom.   
Hermann found the mess overwhelming, horrible, and so utterly Newt that he couldn’t help but feel charmed by his surroundings. Newt rushed around the room showing him various things, nervous energy getting the best of him. Hermann eventually caught him by the arm as he rushed by and pulled him in close, kissing his cheek softly.  
“Move in with me.” Hermann said. The words had come out on their own, yet Hermann didn’t feel any sense of regret. He’d spent the last few years trying to forget Newton Geiszler, but that time was over now. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Newton. He wanted to wake up next to him, go to sleep next to him, cook dinner together. He wanted everything. He’d been shoving his love for Newton down to the pit of his stomach but now that love was coming to the surface at full force and Hermann didn’t want to stop it.  
Newt looked like a deer in headlights. He blinked. Once. Twice. He couldn’t have heard that right. Hermann must have said something else and Newt’s brain just put those words over it because he wanted to hear them. There’s no way that Hermann Gottlieb wanted to move in with him. This was all some crazy fever dream, and Newt was nearly seconds from waking up. He’d say yes, they’d kiss, and he’d wake up in his apartment alone with a hollow feeling in his entire body. There was no way this was his life. This wasn’t real.  
“Okay.” Newt said, voice almost a whisper. Their lips met and Newt knew this was the end of the dream, but when Newton opened his eyes Hermann was still there. Standing in his childhood bedroom wearing his jacket and looking at him like he was some sort of precious thing.  
“I love you.” Newt blurted out, hands coming up to cradle Hermann’s face. Hermann smiled happily and leaned in to kiss him again.  
“I love you too, darling.”


End file.
